Rotary multiple-cylinder four-cycle engines.



W. E. LOONEY.

ROTARY MULTIPLE CYLINDER FOUR CYCLE ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNBZ, 1911. 1,063,456.

Patented June 3, 1913.

@9' non UNITED STATES PATENT orrroE.

WILLMM E. LooNEY, or FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

ROTARY MULTIPLE-CYLINDER FOUR-CYCLE ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. i Application med :alle 2, 1911. 4seran 119.630,959.

i ratentedJune 3,1913.

Fort Worth, in the county of ATarrant and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Multiple-Cylinder Four-Cycle Engines, of Which t-he followingis a specification.

My invention relates to explosive or combustion engines and the objects are to provide an engine which will be extremely light in proportion to the work accomplished and which is simple in construction and operation and in which the number of delicate parts are reduced to a minimum, valves and crank-shafts and timing gear being dispensed with. f

This invention relates more particularly' to rotary multiple cylinder four cycle engines as the 'preferred form, but the'cylinders may be made stationary and the cam shaft made to rotate, or in other Words the engine can be operated so that the power can be taken either from the motion of the cylinders or from the cam shaft.

One of the advantages of the improved' engine is that a plurality of independently operating piston rods are provided for operating with a common cam ora common double cam.

One advantage is in the improved sparking system whereby one sparkingr plug serves a plurality of cylinders and in which the sparking plug may be dispensed with after initial starting. Another advantage is that the cam and coperating parts are inclosed completely and maybe oiled by a splash system.

Another advantage is that two systems of cylinders are provided and provision made for operating both or either one of the systems atl will. The cylinders are each provided with only one port, intake, exhaust, and ignition all being accomplished through the one port.

Other objects and advantages will be fullyV explained in the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which lform a part4 of this application.

.Figure 1 is a plan view with the oil casing shown in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a vertical` section, taken along the line o -w of -Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a broken longitudinal section, taken along the line vjz/-g/of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference Aare used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

Two sets of cylinders 1 and 2, eight in each set, are shown in the drawings. The cylinders 1 are attached to a rotary head 3 and the cylinders 2 are attached rigidly -to a rotary head 4. The heads 3 and 4 rotate about a stationary shaft 5 which is mounted in supports 6. A controller 7 is mounted on the shaft 5 and is provided with a chamber 8 for exhaust purposes and a chamber 10 for intake purposes. A spark plug 11 is also mounted in the controller 7. 'Battle plates 9 are mounted in the exhaust chamber 8 formultling purposes. The shaft 5 is` a hollow shaft or tubular and an intake pipe `13 is mounted in the shaft 5 and has a projection 14 extending into the intake chamber 10. A'Wire 15 leads through the shaft 5 and through the controller 7 to the spark plug ll. Thefperipheral surface of the controller 7 is cone-shaped and the meeting face or surface of the head 3 is funnel-shaped so that a perfect joint between the head and the controller is assured. The cylinders 1 and 2 are held in operative relatiomby interior bearings 16. and 17 Which are rings screwed on collars 18. Adjusting studs 19 bear against the bearings 17. Each set of cylinders l and 2 is carried at the outer or open ends by a. bearing collar 2() which cooperates with the bearings 1G. Ball bearings 21 are placed between the meetingfaces of the bearings 20 and 1G. Bearings 22 `are bolted to the head rims of the cylinders 1 and 9. for cooperating the bearings 17. By means of the construction thus described the cylinders 1 and 2 are easily revolved about the shaft 5 and the controllers 7. 1

It is apparent that the shaft 5 could be made to revolve and the cylinders 1 and 2 'made stationary.

l/Vith the construction above described the power is taken from the head 3 by means of a gear wheel 23 which is bolted to the head The power could also be taken from the head 4. Should the cylinders l and 2 be made stationary and the shaft 5 a revolving shaft, the power could be taken from the Shaft.

The heads 3 and 4 have chambers `24 which are continuations of the chambersof 110 the cylinders 1 and 2 for ignition, compression and expansion purposes and ports 25 y leading from the chambers 24 to be brought 'in communication with the intake port 10' and exhaust port 8 and the sparking'plug 11 as the cylinders 1 and 2 are revolved about the controllersv 7. The controllers 7 .are held in position by springs 26 which :bear against the supports 6 and against 10 flanged. sleeves 27"vvhich are integral with the controller casings. Means areprovided for throwing ,either one of the controllers out ofcommission and also to vary the times of intake, compression, ignition, expansion, and exhaust. A collar 28 is mounted in a peripheral groove in the support 6. A fnlcrum block 29 is attached to the collar 28 and a lever 30 is fulcrumed in the block 29 and pivotally connected to a link 31 which is pivotally connected to the sleeve 27. The lever 30 can thus be used to throw a controller out of commission by shifting the controller axially on shaft 5. 'A dog 32- is pivotally mounted on the fulcrum block 29 and is adapted to engagea rack 33 formed on the support 6. The lever 30 can be used to shift the controller 7 circumferentially to vary the times of intake, compression, ignition, expansion, and exhaust andthe controller may be held at any desirable posltion by the dog 32 and rack 33. This is done by manual movement ofthe lever 30 about the support. vThis ispossible because'the fulcrum of the lever is carried by the collar 28 which is movable.

The two sets of cylinders 1 and 2 are rig# idly connected together by the casing 34 which is attached to the rings 20. yThe cylinders land 2 are thus left exposedv to the atmosphere so that the cylinders' are aircooled. The cylinders are provided with pistons 35 and piston rods 36,-a cylinder 1 and the opposite cylinder 2 having a com-` mon piston rod so thatvvhen one cylinder has expansion, the co-acting cylinder has exhaust. The cylinders thus work in pairs. The lreciprocation of the piston rods accomplishes the driving of the engine by means of a series of cams 37 or one continuous ram 37. The cams 37 are formed on a cylindrical block 38 Whichis mounted rigidly on the shaft 5. Cam clutches 38 are attached rigidly to the piston ,rods 3G andI provided .with antifriction rollers 39. The cams 37 are slightly undercut and the rollers 39 are somewhat cone-shaped to conform to the undercut sides of the cams 37. This will prevent the rollers from leaving the cams during operation. This construction of the cams and rollers will also prevent the pistons from turning in the cylinders. If the pistons should turn, the cam clutches v38 .might leavethe cams and the engine would not operate. In addition to-the means already described for preventing the pistons from turning the cylinders, guides 41 may be forlned on the interior of the casing 34 and clutches 40 providedwith anti-friction rollers 42 may be made .rigid with the piston rods so that the clutches l0 Will follow the guides 4l and be held in theirproper alinement. The cams 37 and all the cooperating parts are oiled by the splash system together with centrifugal force. Oil is letjinto the casing34 by and pipe 43. As this casing revolves, the oil will be distributed. to all arts of the casing 34 and 'to all the elements lnclosed by this casing.

Theengine Imust he cranked like other explosive engines until a cylinder which vhas explosive mixture passes the-.sparking plug 11'. When the first cylinder which has explosive mixture passes the sparking plug 11, there will be an explosion on the ignition of the mixture. This will start all the other cylinders to operating, the explosive mixture being supplied through the pipe 13.

After the engine has been started the ignition may be accomplished without a spark- -ing plug. When the cylinder is passing expansion, a part of the burning mixture can be let. back into the, next cylinder in the rear throughA a peripheral. groove all in the controller 7. y

The cylinders 1 and 2-have beenl described as single acting cylinders. It is apparent that the cylinders can be compounded by placing heads correspond-ing to heads 3 and 4 on the other ends of these cylinders and providing port connections from. shaft 5 and controllers similar tocontrollers 7.

Having fully-described my invention what I claim as new and' desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,- i

1. An engine having a stationary shaft, controllers normally stationary therewith, each controller having an intake chamber and an exhaust chamber' and ports for said chambers, la plurality of cylinders, chambei-ed rotary heads carrying said cylinders and revolving about said controllers and i having ports adapted to hebrought in communication with the ports of said control` 1ers, pistons for said cylinders. said cylinders communicating with the chambers in said rotary heads, means for sparking said cylinders, actuating members operatively connected with said shaft and with said pistons whereby said cylinders are rotated about said shaft, means for vsupplying said. controllers with explosive mixture, and means for shifting said controller.

. 2. An engine havingr av stationary shaft` controllers normally stationary With said shaft-,Ia plurality of cylinders, chambered rotary headsv mounted on `said controllers and carrying said cylinders and having ports communicating with said controllers during operation, said cont-rollers having means for Supplying explosive mixture to said cylinand circumstantial movement of said controller, pistons in said cylinders, cams mounted on said shaft, and actuating meinbers carried by said Vpistons and engagingsaid cams. f

3; An engine controllers rigid with said shaft, Va plurality of cylinders, cliambered rotary heads cai rying said cylinders and forming communications from-said controllers to said cylinders, pistons'in said cylinders, said controllers having provisions for supplying explosive mixture to said cylinders ythrough said heads, means for axial and circumferential movement of said controller,` and means actuated by said pistons for revolving said cylinders and heads about-said controllers and said shaft. Y

(t. An engine having a stationary shaft, two sets. of cylinders, controllers on said shaft for supplying explosive mixture to said cylinders, a cylinder of one set o o-acting with tli'eoppositey cylinder of the other set, means for shifting said cont-rollers circumferentially on said shaft to vary the times of sparking, intake, compression, expansion,

Correction' in Letters PtentNo. 1,063,456

and exhaust, means carrying said cylinders the Patent 0eme.V

lia-ving a stationary' shaft,

and cooperating with ysaid controllers to' feed Said cylinders, pistons for said cylinders, and means actuated by said pistons for causing s'aid cylinders to revolve about said shaft.

5.'An engine having a stationary shaft,

two sets of cylinders, ball bearing-collars surrounding said shaft and carrying said cylinders, means for supplying explosive mixture to said cylinders, a cylinder of one Setco-acting with the opposite cylinder of the other set, a common piston rod for a cylinder and its co-acting cylinder, pistonheads operating said piston rods, cams on said shaft and cani clutches on said piston rods for causing--neciprocating motion of said piston rods', a casing attached to said -collars and iiiclosing said piston rods yand cams and constituting an oiling means for y said cams and piston rods, and means for supplying oil to said piston rods and cams. In testimony whereof, I set my hand iii the presence of two Witnesses, this 30th day of May, 1911,

' VILLIAM E. LOONEY. Witnesses:

A. L. JACKSON, J. W.

Itis hereby certified that in Letters PatentNo. 1,063,456, granted June 3,1913, ipon the application of William E. Looney, of `Fort Worth, Teiias, fory an improvement` u .in Rotary Multiple-Cylinder Four-Cycle Engines, an error appears in the printed specification requiring vcorrect-ion as follows: Page-3, line 2, for the Wordcircum stan'tiali read circumferential and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein, that the same.` may conform to the records of. the y case in `Signed and sealed this 1st day of July, A. D., 1913.

o. c. BILLINGs, 4Acli/ng ammsson of Patents.

, and circumstantial movement of said controller, pistons in said cylinders, cams mounted on said shaft, and actuating meinbers carried by said Vpistons and engagingsaid cams. f

3; An engine controllers rigid with said shaft, Va plurality of cylinders, cliambered rotary heads cai rying said cylinders and forming communications from-said controllers to said cylinders, pistons'in said cylinders, said controllers having provisions for supplying explosive mixture to said cylinders ythrough said heads, means for axial and circumferential movement of said controller,` and means actuated by said pistons for revolving said cylinders and heads about-said controllers and said shaft. Y

(t. An engine having a stationary shaft, two sets. of cylinders, controllers on said shaft for supplying explosive mixture to said cylinders, a cylinder of one set o o-acting with tli'eoppositey cylinder of the other set, means for shifting said cont-rollers circumferentially on said shaft to vary the times of sparking, intake, compression, expansion,

Correction' in Letters PtentNo. 1,063,456

and exhaust, means carrying said cylinders the Patent 0eme.V

lia-ving a stationary' shaft,

and cooperating with ysaid controllers to' feed Said cylinders, pistons for said cylinders, and means actuated by said pistons for causing s'aid cylinders to revolve about said shaft.

5.'An engine having a stationary shaft,

two sets of cylinders, ball bearing-collars surrounding said shaft and carrying said cylinders, means for supplying explosive mixture to said cylinders, a cylinder of one Setco-acting with the opposite cylinder of the other set, a common piston rod for a cylinder and its co-acting cylinder, pistonheads operating said piston rods, cams on said shaft and cani clutches on said piston rods for causing--neciprocating motion of said piston rods', a casing attached to said -collars and iiiclosing said piston rods yand cams and constituting an oiling means for y said cams and piston rods, and means for supplying oil to said piston rods and cams. In testimony whereof, I set my hand iii the presence of two Witnesses, this 30th day of May, 1911,

' VILLIAM E. LOONEY. Witnesses:

A. L. JACKSON, J. W.

Itis hereby certified that in Letters PatentNo. 1,063,456, granted June 3,1913, ipon the application of William E. Looney, of `Fort Worth, Teiias, fory an improvement` u .in Rotary Multiple-Cylinder Four-Cycle Engines, an error appears in the printed specification requiring vcorrect-ion as follows: Page-3, line 2, for the Wordcircum stan'tiali read circumferential and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein, that the same.` may conform to the records of. the y case in `Signed and sealed this 1st day of July, A. D., 1913.

o. c. BILLINGs, 4Acli/ng ammsson of Patents. 

